Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Despite her international popularity, Jamaican singer Phyllis Dillon, commonly acknowledged as the queen of rocksteady, only recorded one proper studio album, and it was released around the time she gave up her musical career near the beginning of the 1970s, due to typical music industry woes and her desire to spend more time with her family. One Life to Live is a sterling collection of rocksteady and early reggae, showcasing Dillon's effortlessly gorgeous voice delivering a well-chosen set of songs themed around affection, heartache, and dancing. Dillon and her backing band, with Duke Reid in the producer's chair, offer a Jamaican spin on several American and British pop, rock, and soul tunes, ranging from a heavy reggae-funk take on Marlena Shaw's "Woman of the Ghetto" to a fantastically dreamy rendition of the Beatles' "Something," which might be the song's best version, period. Dillon was a master of expressing emotional longing in a smooth, easygoing manner, relaying vulnerable, heartfelt lyrics in a sweet, soulful way. "I Can't Forget About You Baby" and "Picture on the Wall" both express a strong desire to forget an ex-lover, but they appear to be pleasantly swaying reggae-soul on the surface. "You Are Like Heaven to Me," written by Dillon herself, is directed at an ex-lover she can't fall out of love with, despite the fact that he broke her heart. Even the most triumphant, celebratory songs, such as the festive, Bob Marley-penned "Long Time No Nice Time," have an undercurrent of bittersweet nostalgia. A few other, more definitive collections of Dillon's work have been released, but not all of these songs appeared on them, so this album is equally necessary for fans as well as a fitting introduction for newcomers. Either way, this is beautiful, timeless music.
© Paul Simpson /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From kr133.33/month
Teddy Randazzo, Composer - Victoria Pike, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Composer, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Stephen Stills, Composer, Writer - Phyllis Dillon, Performance, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Bob Marley, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Vocals, MainArtist
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
GEORGE HARRISON, Composer - HARRISON, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Duke Reid, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Performance, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Arthur Reid, Producer - Phyllis Dillon, Vocals, MainArtist - Freddie McLean, Composer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Richard Evans, Composer - Marlena Shaw, Composer - Bobby Miller, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Burt Bacharach, Composer - Hal David, Composer - Duke Reid, Producer - Phyllis Dillon, MainArtist
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Eric Donaldson, Composer - Edward Lee, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Performance, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Hy Weiss, Composer - John Mitchell, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Performance, MainArtist - Robert Carr, Composer - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Andy Badale, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Performance, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Phyllis Dillon, Composer, Performance, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1970 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Lou Josie, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Performance, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1971 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Andrew Parker, Composer - Arthur Reid, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Performance, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Alberto Dominguez Borras, Composer - Milton Leeds, Composer - Tommy McCook, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Composer, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1967 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Leonard Dillon, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Performance, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Tommy McCook, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Composer, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1966 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Tommy McCook, Composer - Alton Ellis, Composer, Vocals, MainArtist - Phyllis Dillon, Composer, Vocals, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1970 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Phyllis Dillon, Performance, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer - George Symonette, Composer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1967 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Hopeton Lewis, Composer, MainArtist - Tommy McCook, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Composer, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Felice Bryant, Composer - Boudleaux Bryant, Composer - Narciso Serradell, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Performance, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1967 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Howard Barnes, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Performance, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer - Harry Fields, Composer - Joseph Roncoroni, Composer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1967 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Hopeton Lewis, Composer, Performance, MainArtist - Phyllis Dillon, Performance, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Irwin Levine, Composer - Bob Brass, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1967 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Kay Savage, Composer - Sandra Seamons, Composer - Hopeton Lewis, Vocals, Performance, MainArtist - Phyllis Dillon, Performance, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1969 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Tommy McCook, FeaturedArtist, With Vocals - The Supersonics, FeaturedArtist, With Vocals - Phyllis Dillon, Composer, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1967 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Leroy Sibbles, Composer - Alton Ellis, Performance, MainArtist - Barry Llewellyn, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Performance, MainArtist - Earl Morgan, Composer - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1968 Trojan Recordings Ltd., a BMG Company
Hopeton Lewis, Composer, MainArtist - Tommy McCook, Composer - The Supersonics, Composer - Phyllis Dillon, Composer, MainArtist - Arthur "Duke" Reid, Producer
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 2017 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Album review
Despite her international popularity, Jamaican singer Phyllis Dillon, commonly acknowledged as the queen of rocksteady, only recorded one proper studio album, and it was released around the time she gave up her musical career near the beginning of the 1970s, due to typical music industry woes and her desire to spend more time with her family. One Life to Live is a sterling collection of rocksteady and early reggae, showcasing Dillon's effortlessly gorgeous voice delivering a well-chosen set of songs themed around affection, heartache, and dancing. Dillon and her backing band, with Duke Reid in the producer's chair, offer a Jamaican spin on several American and British pop, rock, and soul tunes, ranging from a heavy reggae-funk take on Marlena Shaw's "Woman of the Ghetto" to a fantastically dreamy rendition of the Beatles' "Something," which might be the song's best version, period. Dillon was a master of expressing emotional longing in a smooth, easygoing manner, relaying vulnerable, heartfelt lyrics in a sweet, soulful way. "I Can't Forget About You Baby" and "Picture on the Wall" both express a strong desire to forget an ex-lover, but they appear to be pleasantly swaying reggae-soul on the surface. "You Are Like Heaven to Me," written by Dillon herself, is directed at an ex-lover she can't fall out of love with, despite the fact that he broke her heart. Even the most triumphant, celebratory songs, such as the festive, Bob Marley-penned "Long Time No Nice Time," have an undercurrent of bittersweet nostalgia. A few other, more definitive collections of Dillon's work have been released, but not all of these songs appeared on them, so this album is equally necessary for fans as well as a fitting introduction for newcomers. Either way, this is beautiful, timeless music.
© Paul Simpson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 28 track(s)
- Total length: 01:16:37
- Main artists: Phyllis Dillon
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Trojan Records
- Genre: Reggae
© 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company ℗ 1972 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd., a BMG Company
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.